PDR VS BODY SHOP:
WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOUR DENT?

When your vehicle gets dented, you have a choice: traditional body shop or paintless dent repair (PDR). For the right type of damage, PDR delivers identical results at a fraction of the cost and in far less time.

What is Paintless Dent Repair (PDR)?

PDR uses specialized metal rods, body picks, and precision lighting to access the back side of a dented panel and massage the metal back to its original factory shape — without sanding, filling, or repainting. The factory paint stays 100% intact throughout.

PDR vs Body Shop: A Direct Comparison

Cost

PDR typically costs 50% to 70% less than a comparable body shop repair. A door ding that costs $400–$600 at a body shop might cost $149–$250 with PDR.

Time

PDR repairs are dramatically faster. Most single-dent jobs are completed in hours. Full hail restoration takes 1–5 business days. A body shop repair for hail damage can take 2–4 weeks.

Paint Integrity

PDR preserves your factory paint completely. When a body shop repaints a panel, matching the exact color, texture, and finish of your original paint is difficult — especially on older vehicles. With PDR, there's no paint to match because no paint is ever disturbed.

When PDR is the Right Choice

• Hail damage of any size
• Door dings and parking lot dents
• Body line dents where paint is intact
• Creases and fold damage
• Any dent where factory paint hasn't cracked

When a Body Shop is the Right Choice

• Dents with cracked, chipped, or broken paint
• Structural or frame damage from a significant collision
• Metal that is severely stretched, torn, or punctured
• Damage requiring replacement of entire panels

Frequently Asked Questions